The present invention relates to roller assemblies for sliding doors which that slide along a track, and, more particularly, to an anti-jump member engageable with the track to prevent the roller assembly from derailing.
Roller assemblies for sliding doors that move along a track are known in the art. Advantageously, such a roller assembly may comprise a bracket for attachment to the door, a roller mounting member slidably seated in the bracket and a roller mounted on the roller mounting member for travel along the track. An improved roller assembly of this type is disclosed in U.S. Ser. No. 08/583,281, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,516, assigned to the assignee hereof.
A problem common to all such roller assemblies is derailing, which may occur if the door is struck or bumped, or if it encounters an obstruction on the track, or if force is not applied parallel to the track when the door is being opened or closed. The problem is exacerbated if the door is installed in a doorway which varies in height from one jamb to the other jamb or if the jambs are not plumb.
Many sliding doors are intended for installation by the user, the so called "do-it-yourself" market. Products in this market must be simple to install, using only commonly available tools.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel roller assembly for a tracked sliding door which resists derailing.
It is also an object to provide such a roller assembly which is specifically adapted for user installation.
Another object is to provide such an assembly which is quiet in operation and inexpensive to produce.